Unto Thy New World
by Nocturne Blaze
Summary: This is a story of change, on both sides of the coin. Being pulled from your world and asked to do something you would never do normally? How would he cope? Warning: Contains OC (Rated M for Violence, Gore, Language.)
1. Act 1, Chapter 1

Falling.

My first sensation was just pure falling.

Space and time seemed to slide past, each offering conflicting emotions to my befuddled mind.

"Nocturne! Get up! We need you!" A distant voice was screaming, getting closer and closer. Suddenly everything rips into focus.

I looked around. Sun, stars and the moon seemed to whirl in a dancing inferno of beauty. I became aware of two entities in front of me.

One emanated sadness, emptiness and death. The other was seemingly as empty, but seemed slightly better.

"Please Nocturne, I need you!" The darker one flared and reached out, as if to burn me. Instead of the light of the fire I expected, a deep black overcame my being...

I wake up screaming.

Just another bloody dream. Wiping the cold sweat from my face, I sat up. Back in the same shithole apartment, back into my miserable life. I spent most days at home, sitting at my desk and typing away at the keys, scheduling job interviews or writing up job applications. Nights were either spent doing the same thing I did during the day, or out wasting the night away at a pub. I'm twenty-two, and the bartender is a long-time friend of my father's, and he knew what I was going through, and thus chose not to step in, and also was one of my only friends. Pathetic, aren't I? But apparently, I am a genius. I have a major in human psychology and medicine, and a minor in chemical engineering. Shouldn't be too hard for me to find a job, right?

Not quite. In this quaint little town, there wasn't really a need for psychologists, psychoanalysts, or biochemical engineers. And apparently two doctors are enough to handle the small clinic two blocks down from the small apartment I live in. My parents are long gone. My mother took her own life six years ago and my dad succumbed to lung cancer two years back after smoking a pack a day for close to a decade. I don't miss him. He used to beat her, and ultimately drove her to taking her own life. All those nights that I overheard shouting, all those bruises and cuts that marred my mother's perfect but scarred skin, each and every time he abused her, she inched closer to making the ultimate decision, one that no one should have to. And when she finally snapped, he blamed it on me. Even so, upon his death, I had him buried next to my mother. She would have wanted that, even after all that happened. She always was very kind and forgiving. Every weekend, I would drive down to their grave, under the old tree we always had picnics under, or at least when the times were still good.

Stepping out of the shower, I looked around this dark, dank dump that I call home. Books and magazines piled up in a corner, clothes unfolded and stuffed in the closet, the whole place in a mess. The second I move to a city, I would be able to find a well-paying job and have the easy life, but I decided against it, seeing as to how I would not be able to keep up with taxes, considering that the starting pay is somewhere around two thousand. Two thousand dollars per month, and I have to pay rent, taxes, food and transportation. I'd never survive for long. Also, there were the issues of crime, noise and pollution, which did not really bother me that much.

But lastly, I would not be able to look up into the night sky and gaze upon the stars and the moon with the same amount of clarity. Stargazing always was one of my favorite pastimes. As a child, I spent most nights lying out in the fields outside the family-owned farm, staring up at the diamonds in the sky, wondering if there was anything more out there than life on earth. I always preferred night to day, mainly because of the mystery that it concealed, and the beauty it emanates.

Then, something caught my eye. A roll of brown parchment sat on my desk. Upon closer inspection, I realized that the paper was far thicker than normal paper, and felt as though it was traditionally made, or even from the Middle Ages itself. '_Wow. This really is weird.' _Oddly enough, at the center of the roll of paper, there was a small cloth bag, and upon inverting it over the table, a small blue crystal fell out. It was approximately one inch long, and half an inch across. The shades of blue grew darker as it neared the center, and in the core, a small light shone, not unlike a star in the night sky.

"_Dear Raphael,_

_You are probably surprised to find this, but let me explain. My name is Princess Luna, and I live in a kingdom called Equestria. You certainly are a unique individual. Your intelligence, your hardships, and somehow, you are still able to maintain that calm and stoic façade. I have noticed your hardships, and seen what you have been through. I have seen the way you make yourself out to be less than you really are, and I want to show you a world where kindness, happiness and trust rule over the principles of yours. I have chosen you to be my personal royal subject. A friend, if you will. You have been through far more than you should, and I offer solace._

_You might think that this is nonsense, but I can assure you, 'tis not. Enclosed is an artifact, one of similar type to the one I used to send you this letter. The second it makes contact with your skin, you will be transported into this realm, unto thy new world. This world, you will find familiar, but with a twist. One that is so different from yours, but yet so alike in other ways. Hopefully, I will be seeing you soon._

_Yours truly,_

_Princess Luna_

_PS: You can take anything you want with you as long as you keep it close"_

_'SHE MUST BE INSANE!' _I shouted internally. The only logical conclusion is one, I have a stalker, or two, this 'Luna' is just some deranged madman/woman. But in the back of my mind, there was a small voice nagging, screaming the small possibility of escaping this dreary life I lead, and that this Luna person is actually real. Thinking the last option to be naught more than a fantasy, and the voice a longing for escape, I ignored it for the time being and continued on my daily routine.

_Hours Later…_

"No new offers…" I mumbled under my breath. Not surprising. I've practically applied for every available job in town. Slowly climbing out of my seat, I put on my favorite suit. It was a gift from a close friend, though he isn't much of a friend now, considering his last words to me were "You're doomed to fail". He got me this suit a couple of years ago, when he still thought I showed a great potential. I always was thin and tall for my age, standing at about approximately six-foot-two, but weighing a measly 140 pounds (63.5kg). Hypothyroidism had plagued me for almost my whole life, meaning that no matter how much I ate, I would gain little to no weight at all.

Slipping on the blue undershirt, tucked it into the black dress pants and pulled on the black jacket that completed the set. Considering the fact that it's autumn, I also slipped on a pair of black leather gloves. _'It's about time I make a trip to their graves. Maybe it will help clear my mind…'_ I lightly brushed my silver hair back, and stepped out of the small apartment. Settling into my car, I sighed and started to consider the legitimacy of the outrageous letter. '_Maybe the blue crystal really would mean salvation?' 'Nonsense. I thought you were smart, Raphael. Never thought you'd be so stupid and gullible to put stock into such folly!' _Cringing slightly at the cruelty of my conscience's words,I drove off, to the old oak tree near the farm, about eight miles down the road.

I pulled over, and stepped out of the second-hand Chevy I bought with my parents inheritance and insurance money. I stepped up to their graves, and dropped to my knees, saying a short prayer and following the routine. _What do I have to lose? I might as well try it, maybe she is actually telling the truth…_ The autumn wind blew around me, causing the red-orange leaves of the oak to fall and envelop me as though it were a conscious being that tried to surround me. Standing up, i promptly climbed back into the car and drove home.

I'm gonna do it. I had nothing left to lose. Quickly gathering my things, which included a second set of clothing, my cello that I had kept since I took it up at the age of seventeen, and the locket that my mother had given me a year before she took her own life. I took the small blue crystal out of my pocket with a gloved hand._ Well_, _this is it._ I thought to myself, removing the glove from my other hand. Brushing the crystal lightly with my bare hand, I couldn't believe my own eyes. I surrounded by bright light, and it formed a cocoon around me, and then there was nothing but a blinding darkness.


	2. Act 1, Chapter 2

(Note: besides names of games, italics are thoughts, shared thoughts or stressed points)

_Where am I? What happened? _

As I tried to force my eyes open, these two questions plagued my disorientated and confused mind. It felt like a hangover, but unbelievably, ten times worse. Taking a deep breath, all I could detect was the faint smell of roses. I forced my eyes open, blinking countless times in the first two seconds, due to the sudden change in light level._ Poisoned. Drugged. Concussion. Accident. Dead?_ The countless scenarios raced through my mind, but then I remembered. The letter, the crystal, everything. I sat up, realizing that I didn't have a shirt on. Looking around, I saw what looked to be a large bedroom, dark blue, black and purple paint scheme. This looked so royal.

_Wait._

I looked back. _An Xbox? _It immediately grabbed my attention, seeing how its white color scheme couldn't have possibly blended in. _Hooked up to a 55" HD LCD TV. How wonderful._ I told myself, half sarcastically. Next to it was an impressive pile of video games. _Halo, Call of Duty, Dead Space, Forza Motorsport, _etc. The two items really stood out, polar opposite of the regal-looking room. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the small backpack and the cello case I chose to take along with me, sitting in the corner. I heard something in the background go "click-clack" on the apparently marble floor.

_'Okay. Just to recap, I am apparently in a kingdom called Equestria. Deriving from 'Equine', meaning horse. So this 'Luna' is a horse? Sure seems like it. But then how does she play video games?' _Time seemed to slow down as the sound of hooves impacting on marble drew closer. From the corner of my eye, a midnight blue horse stepped into view. _"Horn? Wings? Whaaat." _

"Ah! Finally you are awake!"

"How is this possible? How can you talk? Who are you?" I interrogated this dark, slender winged unicorn who stood before me at eye level as I sat there, motionless. Without speaking, it, or rather, _she_ walked up towards me, climbed onto the bed on which I sat, and brought her horn, which now glows, to my forehead. I tried to back away, but considering how she could have easily killed me when I was out cold but didn't, chose not to resist and steadied myself. When the tip touched my forehead, it felt like someone had poured ice water over my head. The wave of cold enveloped me and dissipated. '_Greetings, I am Princess Luna.'_

"Okay your'e in my head. How-" She put her hoof to my mouth before I could utter another word.

_'Remain calm, human. I have observed you for the past year, and I will explain everything in due time. Seeing as how you are here, you chose to leave what once was your life behind, and to seek refuge from your cruel world in mine. What I have just done to you is a telepathy spell. We have to remain quiet, as my sister is asleep, and nopony else knows you are here.'_ I slowly nodded, pulling down her hoof with my right hand. Her coat felt soft, and only now did I realize the black crown she wore above her horn, and the slippers on each hoof, colored a pearlescent light purple that fit in just perfectly. Her ethereal blue mane, always in motion even during the absence of any wind whatsoever. The way she walked around made it seem like she felt a sense of awkwardness.

"Why did you 'invite' me here?" I questioned, moving over to the edge. "How do you even know who I am?"

"Pardon. I was in the Royal Canterlot Library slightly over a year ago, and chanced upon a book. A book that spoke of another world much like ours, a world where humans, thought by all to be only a myth, thrived. The book was always considered nothing more than an old mare's tale, but I put stock in it, using the old spell the book contained, and long story short, I acquired the crystal and now you are here." She rattled on, words firing from her mouth like bullets from a machine-gun. She was deliberately avoiding eye contact, looking down. She was… shy? I unknowingly chuckled, finding her insecurity cute. She tried to mask her shyness, and tried to retain her royal stature. "I beg your pardon?"

"Um, Princess Luna-"

"Please, there is no need for formality. Do address me as Luna." She cut in. Rudely, might I add, if not for her royal position.

"Luna, how long have I been here?" I asked rather timidly.

"Three days."

_Three days, huh? _I climbed off her bed, slipped on my dress shoes and put on my shirt without buttoning up. "So what now?" I asked cautiously. She closed her eyes for two seconds, and stated with a sigh, "My elder sister is on her way. She insists on seeing you."

The obsidian door slowly swung open, a figure, slightly taller than Luna stepped through. She was immaculately white. Her mane was an series of hues in pink, blue and green, and like Luna's, seemed to be constantly in motion even during the absence of any wind. A golden crown, as opposed to Luna's midnight blue, seemingly black under the rather poor lighting condition. On her flank was a sun, while Luna's was, predictably, a crescent moon. _Conclusion: Luna is the princess of the Night, and this one is the princess of the Day. Considering the size difference, Luna is probably a few years younger than this other princess._ The white mare trotted up, seemingly unfazed by the appearance of an unusual creature in her sister's bedroom. Unusual for them, anyway. Acting on instinct, I bowed, submitting to the entity larger than myself, taking note of the regality of her actions.

"State your name and intention," she commanded, "and rise." I did as instructed. As I told her the truth, introducing myself in the process, she cringed, slightly, quickly returning to her stoic expression. "Very well. Since she was the one who brought you here, she will be in charge of you. You will listen to her orders, and she will teach you Equestrian history, customs and in turn, you will obey every command to the letter. Have I made myself clear?" She stated matter-of-factly as I rose to my feet. _No emotions detected. It's almost as if this is normal for her, or she had been rehearsing this. _I nodded hesitantly, cautious of her actions. She turned and left, leaving me quite confused as to why she handled the whole situation as calmly and coldly as she did, seeing as how I apparently am the first human heard of and most likely seen, ever.

"Luna, why is she… larger than you?" I asked, brimming with curiosity. "Also, how did she know that I'm here?"

She turned, facing me with a puzzled expression. "It is because I was imprisoned on the moon for a millennia past, and did not age because I was not in this form. One thousand years ago, I grew jealous of our sister, bitter at how our subjects played during her day, but shunned and hid in my beautiful night. I made some mistakes, and our sister banished us to the moon. But not a year ago, I returned with the same intention, once again taking up the mantle of Nightmare Moon, but we were saved and redeemed by a young mare by the name of Twilight Sparkle, who lives in a small town, Ponyville. Since then, we have spent our days trying to adjust to modern life, and now, you have joined us in Equestria." Through her monologue, she showed little emotion, but I could see through her stoic facade, and see her regret, sadness, bitterness and loneliness. She was royalty, and possibly even the goddess of the Night, watching over the others as they sleep, but they showed no gratitude. Looking outside, I saw a sight that not many see. The absence of pollution here made the night sky extremely clear, and I realized how beautiful the night sky really is.

"How she knew of your presence is because she detected my elevated vital signs, namely pulse rate and breathing. Can't blame me for being excited to talk to some_one_ from another world." She said with a half-joking tone.

"Luna, in my world, there are stargazers who look up to the heavens and admire its beauty, but pollution has made our sky mask the true beauty of the night, a beauty that I am fortunate enough to be able to witness as I look out now." I said, staring far into the sky, admiring it in all its celestial beauty.

"The stars burned brighter in centuries past. During our ironic thousand-year-long exile on the moon, we relied on the stars to keep us alive. The magic and energy I use is compatible with the stars. After all, they are, in a way, my children. Staying alive on a pressure-less, airless environment without food nor water required a lot of magic." She explained, much to my interest. After all, I did love the night sky.

We spent the night conversing on our own lives, and I realized how much hardship she has had to go through, being shunned by the people, being antagonized by legends, and still holding the same position she did before. She also explained the whole idea of Equestrian Magic. Apparently there are many kinds of magic in this land, ranging from elemental, life, and Pegasi Magic, Earthen Magic and Unicorn Magic. She said that Pegasi Magic is what allows the pegasi to walk on clouds, and fly at such high speeds with less of an impact on their bodily functions. Unicorn Magic is the easiest to harness and manipulate, which explains how unicorns can levitate objects, change their appearance and more, or so I've heard. Earthen Magic is apparently the least well-understood, and also the hardest to utilize. It supposedly gives Earth ponies, that is, ponies with neither horn nor wings, the ability to be undertaking tasks such as farming or mining so successfully with relatively little training. Additionally, Luna also mentioned the magic of friendship. It is what keeps the three factions from warring with each other, and apparently also makes their tasks easier.

Alicorns, which are what Luna and Celestia, her sister, are, are supposed to be a hybrid of all three races, and are supposed to be their rulers, or deities. They are nigh-immortal, but not invincible. Their magic outshines any other type, being far more potent and plentiful, due to the extremely small number of Alicorns.

"At the beginning of Time, there were two Alicorns, Tempus and Caelus. They were our parents. Tempus is time embodied, our father. His mane was pure white energy, and he could manipulate time at will. His coat was grey, like dust that would collect over time. Caelus, our mother, was the creator of space. Her mane was a dark blue, seeping out as though it were gaseous. Her coat was white, brighter than Celestia's. It represented purity, immaculate.

"She created the Universe with the help of our father, for Time means nothing without Space. Tempus and Caelus raised us in a world not unlike Equestria, though it took on a form of a large expanse of land with a large tree growing in the centre, towering over a crystal clear pond. They gave us the power to create, and told us to let our child-like imagination run wild. The pond under the tree was our Universe, our playground. We created Terra, the world, in this universe, and gave it a sun, bestowing all its powers upon the shoulders of our sister. As for myself, I spent years designing the night sky. Guided by our parents, I created every star, every constellation, named them and breathed life into them.I took on the responsibility of maintaining the night, ensuring it would help future travelers find their destination. Our parents gave their lives to populate Mundus with Pegasi, Unicorn and Terran alike, and our responsibility was to watch over them, to maintain peace." She narrated, telling the tale of Creation, as I sat there, awe-struct at how amazing their story of creation was.

"Unfortunately, when they were first created on Terra, they did not get along. They despised each other, and none would accept us, because each saw us as a traitor for possessing the traits of other races. Their disharmony manifested into a corporeal being, Discord. Their hatred of each other intensified, blaming each other for the creation of Discord. My sister and I spent years alone, discovering the magic of friendship with those who chose to be separate from the rest of their races, and the Elements of Harmony came into being. We utilized the Elements to defeat Discord, and brought harmony and peace to Equestria."


	3. Act 1, Chapter 3

It has been about four weeks since that day princess Celestia set the rules, and frankly speaking, I have not seen her much. Not that I really mind, but she came off as cold and manipulative versus Luna's warm and caring personality, quite the opposite of their roles as Day and Night respectively. Over the past few weeks, I have learnt much of Equestria's history through our nightly meetings, usually lasting the whole night unless there was Night Court scheduled, which was rather rare, or an emergency. I was given a guest room, not too far from Luna's bedchamber, and though it was a guest room, it shared many similarities with Luna's room, and possibly Celestia's as well. It visually appeared the same, save some minor details, although it had been scaled down by about thirty percent.

Also, Luna cast a spell on me that made me almost sort of invisible to the guards and other ponies. I think she called it a 'perception filter'? I don't know, but it's kind of cool. Unless I scream and shout, I'd pass unnoticed to anypony except somepony who specifically wants to see me.

It has been getting slightly colder these past few days, and according to the deep blue mare, fall is arriving. Luna has advised that I find a tailor soon, and have them create some clothes for me. After all, I can't go on wearing the same two outfits everyday for the rest of my life. Though the whole getting-a-new-outfit situation poses a problem. The public still are unaware that I am here, even after the past month. For one, I usually spend most of my time in Luna's room, studying or chatting with her, when we're not stargazing. When I do eat meals, however, minimal staff is present.

However, lately there have been some strange occurrences. Things in my room shifting around overnight, with no apparent cause, seeing as to how Luna cast a magic seal on my door that makes it so that only her or I can open it. There was a glass door leading to the balcony, but its sealed with a the same spell that makes it so that only either Luna or I can open it. I haven't told her about moving stuff though, but I do plan on telling her soon.

Looking out from my balcony, I got a good look over Canterlot, and how it is organized. Almost directly below was the outer perimeter of the castle, with white and grey Pegasi or Unicorns, donning the golden armor of the Solar guards. Looking further ahead was the edges of the Nexus. The Nexus is the area that just surrounds the castle, surrounded by an iron fence, and is also usually where the guards are trained. Further up was the Inner Complex, comprised of boutiques, fine dining restaurants, spas, and a few bars. The boutiques supposedly sell high-quality clothes at an equally high price, and the restaurants and bars are for the posh, up-tight ponies who didn't mind spending more to have a marginally better atmosphere than the bars and eateries downtown.

Then there was the Outer Ring. This is where things take a step down from high-class, and looked like an average neighborhood. Bars peppered the streets, their neon lights clashing with the beautiful blues, oranges, yellows and reds in the sky, caused by the setting sun. Bar fights and small crimes are common in this area. Canterlot is basically comparable to most cities, besides the castle.

As per usual, I threw on my usual semi-formal attire, the blue undershirt and donned the jacket, not buttoning it up for once. I pulled the dark oak door open, and walked down the hallway to Luna's room. I made up my mind, intent on telling her the strange occurrences that happens when I sleep. Walking past the two ashen grey stallions in metallic purple armor who stood guard outside of Luna's room, and being on the receiving end of their untrusting and wary glares, I knocked, and after receiving her consent, pushed open the onyx door and entered her room. She sat in front of her desk, upon which rested a large vanity mirror, with her metallic collar resting on the table with her crown, and her four slippers arranged neatly next to the desk. She looked so different without those, almost like she's naked. Well, she _is_ naked, but you get the point.

She turned to face her unexpected guest, surprised to see me. "I've only just woke up…" She mumbled, dazed. Clearly, her linguistics lessons have borne fruit. She speaks normally now, with minor slip-ups when she is nervous or tired. Her mane took on a physical form, taking on an azure shade, going around her horn and slightly curling at the tip, with the rest behind her ear. She looked so innocent like this, with the back somewhat messy, which made her look adorable. "And thanks for knocking. In my eyes we're equals, and to me, there is no need to knock. But still, it's better than Celly, who just barges in." Her voice sounded out again, and I responded with a small chuckle.

"Listen, Luna… I have something to tell you." She quickly turned to look at me, eyes fully open, giving me full view of the cyan orbs that they were. Her ears perked up and there was a slight blush. After a few seconds of awkward silence, I broke the tense-ish atmosphere. "Anyways, lately the stuff in my room has been moving around, sort of like there's ghosts. That is, unless someone or _somepony_ has been visiting my room after dark." Upon hearing this, she turned back, combed her mane down and put on her uniform, as it were. Without another word, she walked out and to my room, with me following behind.

"This room _reeks_ of magic! Somepony has been using magic in your room, and excessively, at that." She suddenly blurted out as soon as the door opened, drawing the attention of the two Solar Guards who stood motionless outside of my room. "I thought you said that the only people who can enter my room are the two of us?" I questioned, but to no avail. She suddenly appeared in front of me, and inhaled, sniffing loudly. "IT'S YOU! Wait, how is that possible? You obviously are neither a unicorn nor an Alicorn, so _how_ in the name of the Night can you use magic?" She exclaimed, both excited and confused.

Also, apparently she can smell magic.

She leaned forward, closing the distance between the tip of her horn and my forehead. She was going to access my memory, something she had done before, with my consent, of course. I felt the familiar icy surge of another consciousness probing the nooks and crannies of my mind. _You DO have the ability to manipulate magic. You have been basking in the magical energies that Alicorns utilize. Apparently, you were unconscious for the first three days because you were still adjusting to the unfamiliar background energy, as it were. I just didn't think to look for that until now!_ She half spoke, half yelled into my mind. Nodding sheepishly, I tried to accept the fact that I was apparently the one who made all of my stuff move when I was asleep.

"Um, Luna, I haven't asked you before, but is it possible for me to go back to my world?" I just realized what I unknowingly implied, and tried my best to clear that doubt from Luna's mind while it was surfacing, "NotthatIdon'tlikeithere, but I can't survive on only two articles of clothing forever. Plus, there's some things I might or might not have to take." The first part of that sentence came out as one word instead of seven, and the half-frown that I unwillingly caused melted away to a neutral expression, which in turn, curled into a slight smile.

"Sure you can. The portal is in the Obsidian Hall, the hall that I can call mine. One thing I have that Celly doesn't." She turned and walked out, her shoed hooves click-clacking on the floor. I tailed behind her, as she cast a spell on me that changed my appearance to that of a midnight blue stallion with a grey mane that reflected my hair color my 'cutie mark', or the image reflected on the flank was a music note, owing to the fact that I occasionally played my cello for Luna, after she had soundproofed her room with a spell. The magic always amazed me.

After a ten-minute walk, we came to a halt in front an obsidian monolith, towering at least five meters tall, and strangely enough, no guards watching over it. Her dark sapphire horn glowed, with an azure glow surrounding it, and the door responded by turning translucent, Luna walking through it as though it were not there, leaving me with my jaw halfway to the ground. Snapping back to reality, I quickly ran through the now ethereal door, catching up with the dark blue mare, while absorbing the sights of the room beyond. It was extremely large, probably twenty five meters across, fifty long and fifteen high. About half of the room's height was paved in black marble, with the remainder in white. At the far end was a fireplace, almost five meters wide, which suddenly blazed with fire, as though automated. In the centre of the room, there was a ten-meter wide, three-tiered depression, in the middle of which sat a rune that had a conical pillar in the centre, covered in an ancient script, all of which glowed a light blue, near unnoticeable. Looking along the walls, I noticed that some had writing on them, in the same ancient runes, carved into the black marble. There were three doors on each side of the room, each colored onyx, with nothing to distinguish them from each other. "How-?" I questioned before being cut off.

"How does this large, magnificent hall fit into the the castle without sticking out?" she spoke up, with me nodding. "Basically, it's dimensionally transcendent. Meaning that the amount of space it is supposed to occupy doesn't actually mean anything."

"Bigger on the inside?" I asked sheepishly.

"Yup", she replied, slightly smiling at my curious remark. She trotted up to the conical pillar in the center of the rune, tapped it with her horn and backed off. The faint blue glow of the rune intensified, got brighter and melted into a blue mist, which began to swirl. In the whirlpool of the mist, I could see faint images, reflections of the mundane world I lived in. It all seemed so distant, after having come accustomed to living in a magical world with sentient ponies and magic. Luna walked up to me, tapped her horn to my forehead, and yet again, I felt the icy rush, as though a blizzard swept through my mind. However, this was followed by what felt like a firestorm. I hissed out of pain from the last part, drawing Luna's attention. I quickly shook it off, and she explained that it's supposed to be something like a panic button, or safety word. As soon as I vocalize "Nocturne", I get teleported back immediately. _Huh, she's being a bit overprotective. I mean, I'm only going back to take some stuff._

"Well, I'll see you later then." I said, taking a step forward into the blue swirl, falling through the portal, and stumbling out of a portal smack in the center of my living room. Great. Quick check: doors still locked, nothing gone, everything normal. Uh, suitcase. I immediately grabbed some more useful clothes for autumn and winter. The crimson frock overcoat that I bought in Romania as a souvenir. The white undershirt and red cravat I was given during an event. I folded it and put the clothes into the suitcase, also adding a brown trench coat. Among clothes, I also brought some other miscellaneous things. Soundblaster headphones, iPhone, charger and that's about all I need or want to bring. Out of sheer boredom and not wanting to let good things go to waste, since I'm not coming back here, I took along the two bottles of wine I bought the night I had reached the legal drinking age. They were high quality, but nothing too fancy.

Closing the suitcase, I realized that there wasn't a portal anymore. It closed right after I got through. _Oh well. Only one way to do this now._

"Nocturne…" I whispered under my breath, and held on tight to the suitcase as I was enveloped in a blue flame. I felt the all-too-familiar cold surge and squeezed my eyes shut, feeling the torrents of cold air swirl around my body, and tried to open my eyes after feeling it die down. When it was completely absent, I felt the handle of the suitcase slip from my grip, and opened my eyes to find a familiar face staring me in the eye. Luna was standing over me, making sure I was unharmed.

"Took you long enough. It's dusk now, and I wondered if maybe you would have wanted to have dinner with me?" She said excitedly, as I chuckled at the notion. "And I brought back some wine to go with that." Her lips curled, into a smile that could make anyone's heart melt.


	4. Act 1, Chapter 4

I quickly put on my usual suit, and retrieved one of the wine bottles that I brought back during my little trip. Closing the door behind me, I strolled along the corridor leading up to Luna's room. I put my hand on the obsidian door, brushing against the old carvings and feeling the cool stone, and pushed slightly, letting it swing slowly. I put my hand around the edge, and pushed it open far enough for me to pass through. I slipped in, bottle in hand, and closed the door once I was through.

Inhaling, the mouth-watering scent of perfectly cooked food hung in the air, and I scanned the room, seeing something I did not expect to. In the center of her large balcony, a table was placed. Black tablecloth, candle lit, two wine glasses and two domed plates. One one side was an empty chair, but on the other sat a beautiful young woman, with long flowing azure hair that reached down half her back. She was quite pale, but she looked anything but sickly. This pale enhanced her stunning beauty. Her stunningly flawless skin seemed to be aglow with the moonlight, her slender arms ending in hands that were paired with long, slender fingers, each capped with a dark blue fingernail. A dress hugged her body, enhancing each and every curve. Though plain and simple, it was far from ugly. The dark blue fabric blended in with the night sky, once again enhancing her natural beauty. She was gazing far out into the stars of the night sky, with a slight smile on her lips.

I walked up, drawing her attention. She turned quickly, hair swaying at the sudden turn. "Luna? Is that you?" I mindlessly uttered, stunned by her appearance. She giggled, confirming my suspicions. Luna had taken a human form. I opened the bottle, removing the cork, and half-filled each glass before seeing the bottle down and sitting in the chair opposite her. "I have planned this for some time, and seeing as how I am taking a human form, decided that a human meal is in order." she announced with a slight smirk.

"You look… amazing. Beautiful. The mystery and beauty of the Night embodied." I paid complement, saying whatever came to mind, without a second thought. She chuckled, and removed the silver domes that covered the plates with her magic. The rush of steam revealed a grilled lamb chop with mushroom sauce, mashed potato and gravy, and corn on the cob. My eyes lit up at this perfect meal, my favorite childhood food. The last time I ate this was back when my mother was still alive and well. She always cooked this once a month, finding solace in my wide smile when this dish was presented to me.

Unbeknownst to me, this sudden appearance of a link to my childhood had caused tears to flow. _Drip._

"Is something wrong?" She asked with a caring and curious tone, "I entered your mind and noticed that this is your favorite dish." she continued.

"It's just that… The last time I ate this was when my family was still whole, unbroken and undivided." I somehow managed to utter, dabbing at my eyes with the napkin. "Thank you, Luna."

The rest of the dinner went by relatively uneventful, but pleasantly nonetheless. We talked, and she taught me how to perform a transformation spell through that still-freaky Vulcan mind meld thing. I pulled it off, transforming into a deep blue stallion with a silver mane and grey eyes, with a "Cutie mark" or so she calls it, of a constellation. Although I see nothing wrong with it, Luna was kind of freaked out that I stood slightly taller than her. She claimed that normal ponies aren't supposed to be that big, and I that I was almost twice the size of a normal stallion. I couldn't help but agree with her, as of all the stallions I've seen, though few, none were as big as I am. She took on her natural form and pulled open her room door, and trotted out with me following close behind.

"Have I ever told you about the Nightguard?" Luna asked softly, once the doors were closed. I nodded slowly, and added, "Not much though." She chuckled. "I thought so. For the past thousand years, nopony has heard of the Nocturnal Guard and nopony has actually gone through what is required to be an actual member of the Nightguard. Unlike my sister's Solar Guard, which numbers to over a thousand, and consists mainly of stallions with mares included, though fewer, the Lunar Guard numbers only to six. Six of the toughest, sharpest and smartest stallions and, very rarely, mares are selected to become part of the Nightguard. They undergo augmentation, and take up an oath of honor, of servitude. And unlike Celestia's barbaric methods of ensuring that the guards stay focused, none of the Nightguard have to be castrated, gelded.

"Wheras the Solar Guard is involved with menial tasks like patrolling the city, quelling minor crime and whatnot, the Nightguard is involved with high-risk, high-reward missions, like assassination, but is only mobilized and authorized to kill during war. I intend to restart the organization to be prepared for anything, seeing as how tensions with Gryphe are rising. Earlier this week, a squad of Gryphons attacked an outlying village, the peaceful town of Whitemane. Fortunately, there were no casualties, as a few squads of guards had been posed there earlier to monitor Gryphon activity."

"But why are you telling me this?" I questioned, filled with a newfound curiosity.

"Because I plan to make you the first of the Nightguard in a thousand years."

_**Hours later...**_

_I plan to make you the first of the Nightguard…_

Those few words still rang through my mind, echoing and resounding. I along the corridor, mouth agape and hanging at its lowest. She turned around and chuckled, amused by my presumably shocked expression. Slowly walking up to me, she leaned over, causing me to shudder involuntarily from the soft fur of her neck mingling with my coat. I could feel her warm breath down the side of my neck as she whispered in my ear.

"Oh it will be fun, I promise…" I quickly turned, catching a glimpse of her as she circled me before continuing on her original path. I quickly shook myself out of the dazed state and ran to catch up, almost tripping over myself twice in the process.

We walked down a somewhat familiar path, though a path not walked twice. Before long, I found myself before the same obsidian door that stood before the portal to Earth. The onyx door swung open, revealing the familiar part-midnight, part-alabaster room that always felt welcoming. She headed for the second door on the left side of the room, which now appeared to be larger and made of stone, as opposed to the other doors made of a black, high-gloss material. Following close behind as she angled her head to fit her horn into the hole in the center, which I presume to be a biometric lock, meaning only she could open the door.

"The Twilight Antechamber," she said, rising. "The barracks and final resting place for the Lunar Stallions." Looking around, I saw a corridor leading to what I assumed to be the mausoleum of the Nightguard, and another leading up to ornately carved, dark steel colored doors. "The barracks, and beyond that, the Armory." She continued her narration as I stared at the carvings in awe, trying to make heads or tails with it. Looking over to the deep blue mare, I saw her normally cyan eyes being replaced with orbs of pure light, and also witnessed the carvings begin to come aglow with a uniform blue hue. The metallic doors creaked and ground open, clearly unused for many centuries. Behind those strong doors that made what was behind impregnable, was pure darkness, shrouding the Armory in mystery. Taking a step forward, Luna's horn glowed, and the entire room was lit up by an orb of light, made of pure magic, suspended in the centre of the room, just below the ceiling.

The scale of the Armory rivaled that of the Obsidian Hall itself. There were pony-quins that donned fearsome looking armor, ornate and functional. Two of them on each side, all with their own unique weapons at their side. They all had a night-themed color scheme, dark blue, purple and a dark steel. But at the end of the great hall, there stood another pony-quin. This one stood taller than the others, and was in a red, crimson and dark steel color scheme. It was far more fearsomely designed than the others, having more curves, yet more angular at other parts. The crimson was the embodiment of blood shed in battle, the red the color of flesh torn from bone. The shoulder area was designed to mimic the ferocity of the dragon, and the wing-armor looked fearsome. Overall, this suit of armor was something that many would fear at the first glance, and rightfully so. On its left was a scythe, the symbol of death. Much like the armor, it had a crimson/steel color scheme. On it's right was a greatsword, which bore the same colors.

Following the mare of the night, I walked, or trotted, down the hall to the end, and came to a halt in front of the Captain's armor, so read the inscription. Up close, the ornate carvings almost seemed alive. In the center of its chest was a black orb, which was held down by a ring of crimson. Seeing the armor of the head of the Nightguard really ran shivers down my spine, and had a subconscious longing to run and hide from it. It looked so intimidating, not only because of its design, but because of its sheer size. It was a full head taller than Luna herself, and stood an inch or two taller than myself.

"Don thy armor, dear stallion. Don thy armor and take up the mantle of the Crimson Phantom, the Red Spectre. The Bloodstained Captain of the Night. The pony who singlehandedly caused rivers of blood to flow in the past, and possibly in the future too. Don thy armor and become one with the night!" She said, ending loudly and causing it to echo throughout the Armory. With a smirk, she continued, "Go now, _Nocturne Blaze._"

I was speechless, but walked up and put on the armor piece by piece. In all, it took me almost half an hour, but I left out the wing guards due to the lack of wings. It felt as though it were a size too big, and made me feel weak and small, how ironic. Closing my eyes, I could hear the voices of Captains past. Seventy-eight of them all chanted in my mind, demanding for battle. The chanting took on a distinguishable tone and chanted something recognizable with all its fury.

"_In Pacis, Vigilantiae_

_In Bellum, Victoria_

_In Mortem, Sacrificium_

_In Sacrificium, Gloria_

_Gloria, In Nomine Noctis!"_

The oath of the Nightguard was simple, yet extremely difficult to speak, but as soon as the last word escaped my lips, I felt power surge through my body. Smiling, Luna turned and left as soon as I finished, teleporting out of the Armory, and closing the doors behind her. Breaking out into a full-speed gallop, I could not make it in time, only coming so close as to almost being decapitated by the doors. The magical orb of light dimmed and seemed to pulsate, as I felt more and more power and energy pouring into my body. I panicked, and ran around, trying to find another exit. Before long, I felt something trying to burst its way out from every point of my body. I suddenly grew an inch taller, and felt searing pain as my bones cracked and rearranged themselves, splattering blood everywhere.

_**-**_**=o=**_**-**_

**(Third Person)**

The helpless unicorn writhed in agony on the white marble floor, covering the area he occupied with blood. His screams of agony rang out, and Luna just lay outside, not bothered at all by his audible screams of pain. The stallion's eyes went from grey to a bright shade of amber, and his teeth morphed, first having extended and sharpened canines, then with every tooth as sharp and large as his canines, and then back to normal. His skull increased in size, fitting the helmet perfectly, filling the small amount of space in-between his skull and the helmet. His muscles increased greatly in size and mass, creating large amounts of heat from the extreme rate of cell division. The precursors sang louder and louder in his head, as every bone in his body broke simultaneously, and reformed, stronger than before. Wings tore out from his back, spanning seven feet as he reared up and stretched his new appendages, dripping and splattering blood. The wing guards that lay idly nearby attached themselves to his wings, completing the set. He galloped full speed at the door, repeatedly throwing himself at it. His helmeted head incessantly hammered against the door, causing the reverberations to sound out through the whole area, splattering blood onto the door and the walls. The dark blue horn that stuck out of his head broke off, clattering on the floor and leaving a bloody patch on his forehead, from which a new, dark grey horn that was longer and sharper sprouted from. His coat vaporized, being replaced with ashen fur that matched the horn. After countless bashes, he finally fell unconscious as the final phase of the transformation took place.

The giant metal doors slid open, revealing to the dark princess a room covered in blood. The ceiling and floor alike was splattered and covered with blood, painting them a menacing shade of crimson. Each of the four pony-quins dripped with the red liquid, and right in front of her was a massive, blood-soaked Alicorn that appeared to be black, and seemed to be dead, but in reality was unconscious. Walking over, she bent down and kissed it on the side of its muzzle, causing its eyes to snap open, the stygian vertical slit that lay embedded in an orb of gold to dilate as it rose to its feel, throwing the princess of the night on her back, and sniffed her the way an animal would. _Kill? Mate? Friend? _The thoughts that ran through the stallion's mind were feral at best. Eliminating the first two options, he settled for allying himself with this unknown dark mare. _Sister? Mate? Mother?_ His gaze drifted over Luna, who now stood motionless. His blood dripped off his coat and onto hers, and without warning, the feral beast squeezed his eyes shut, and laying down onto the mare beneath him, he lost consciousness.

_**-**_**=o=**_**-**_

**(Nocturne Blaze)**

_So warm and relaxing… Wait. Why am I wet?_

I snapped awake to a pleasant sight, Luna was sleeping, and had her hooves around me, and a small smile as she snored lightly, almost inaudible. She looks so peaceful and cute. _Wait. Blood?_ Looking down, her coat was covered in blood, but I was drenched in the viscous red liquid. Her eyelids fluttered open as she woke up, and smiled as I struggled to get off of her, falling over myself because both my hind legs were still asleep.

"My, we haven't even started and you've already wrecked your helmet!" She exclaimed, pulling off the mangled, scratched and dented helmet off of my aching head, proceeding to cast a spell on it that returned it to its original state, cleaning up the blood that coated it in the first place, returning it to its menacing and intimidating look before putting it to rest on my head. "And you've soaked me in your blood! that was a particularly violent transformation indeed. Don't worry about the mess. It will take care of itself." She said with a chuckle, turning and walking as I followed close behind, dripping blood onto the marble floor.


	5. Act 1, Chapter 5

Walking side-by-side with the mare of the night, we head for my room, not coming across anyone at all, seeing as how it was one in the morning. I slowly pushed open the door, stepping into my messy room as she followed behind. Slumping onto the floor, probably exhausted after appointing her new second-in-command, Luna dozed off as I stepped into my shower, everything seeming smaller due to my increased size. Dropping off my blood-soaked armor in a corner, I stepped into the shower and turned on the tap, watching the water that flowed off of my body being stained a dark red, painting the tiles and walls of the shower.

Running a hoof through my mane, slightly shorter now, I sighed, wondering why she wanted me as her captain. _I'm not someone special. Okay maybe I am, but normally I'm kind of pathetic._ Too caught up with my thoughts, I nearly spun around and hit Luna when she stepped in and put her hoof on my back. I was so absorbed that I failed to notice her entering the toilet.

_"Hungry?"_ My ears perked up at this, involuntarily filtering out the white noise the shower created, but not hearing anything. "_I'm not talking out loud. Telepathic link, meaning I can keep track of your emotions, your thoughts, and your location."_ I nodded slowly, "Y-yes… Why?" I muttered under my breath, trailing off. She chuckled, and helped to clean my wings, which were caked in coagulated blood.

Getting out of the shower, She used magic to gather all of the water on our bodies into a sphere, a sphere which now floated before us. "Bear in mind, your body is extremely deprived of proteins, nutrients and energy. No magic for the next two days, and get used to having wings. Also, you aren't a full Alicorn, even though you have both wings and a horn. No doubt, you are powerful, you are extremely hard to kill and you don't age, but your magic still falls short, compared to Alicorns, by about 20%. Make no mistake, you are _extremely_ powerful compared to normal ponies, but be aware of your limits." I made mental notes of what she said as I put my armor on manually, with her help, noting also that the armor was spotless, completely devoid of the blood that coated it before. Upon closer inspection, it was also in perfect condition, without a single scratch, even though I remember writhing around on the floor and getting it pretty beat up earlier.

"_Enchanted to absorb blood, and to self-repair? This is so cool."_ I spoke into my mind, forgetting for a moment that she can hear my thoughts, which caused her giggle to catch me off guard.

"Okay, now think hard that you want to retract your helmet." She said, putting the helmet onto my head. I focused hard, commanding the Precursors (what I had come to call the previous Champions) to retract the helmet into my armor. Surprisingly, the helmet loosened up, and looking into the mirror, I saw it fragment into natural shapes that match its design, spread, and rejoin the rest of the armor, mostly in the chest plate. Beaming, I turned to Luna, who had put on her regalia, crown and slippers, now turning and walking past me.

Calling for a maid while I sat on my bed, she ordered the mare to prepare five servings of her normal meal, or at least that was what I could make out, sitting ten feet away. Increased aural sensitivity, might take some time to get used to. The mare kept shooting terrified glances at me while I sat there looking at my armor, clearly intimidated by the design. As soon as Luna turned, the olive mare turned and ran, while I sat there, pulling at my wings and repeatedly extending and folding them, like a child who had found a new toy. The sight of my fiddling with my wings drew a giggle from Luna as she motioned for me to follow her. "Come, my Champion. Now, we dine." She said with a smirk, turning.

Walking down the corridors to the dining hall, I drew many intimidated glances, save three stallions, who first discussed among themselves in whispers (though I could hear them) about whether to approach me. The three walked up to me, with the highest in rank stepping forward. "H-halt. State your name, intention and connection to Princess Luna." Looking sheepishly at Luna, who only responded with a slight smile, I replied him, still unused to the deeper tone of my voice.

"Nocturne Blaze, formerly known as Raphael. Proceeding to the Dining Hall with L-_Princess_ Luna. I am her champion, and the Captain of the newly-resurrected Lunar Stallions." I announced, drawing many stares, and causing the trio to recoil in fear at the last third of my statement. The trio quickly apologized and retreated, carrying on their business. Luna chuckled as we walked down the corridor, into the large and expansive dining hall, with two long tables, side by side. One brightly painted with a sun motif, and the other bearing a bright white crescent moon with a starry background, with plates and glasses laid out.

Taking our seats opposite each other, I filled both glasses with wine, manipulating the bottle with magic, with no object from Luna. _I meant no strenuous use of magic. Levitation is fine._ Her smooth and soothing voice rang out in my mind as she lifted the domes off all five plates with her magic, revealing spaghetti and wheatballs, with a side of sautéed carrots and mushroom and spinach. Picking up a fork with her magic, she started to eat as I sat there still awed by the smell of the food. "Go on. Don't hold back…" she tells me, mouth half filled with spaghetti. She looks so cute when she does this little things. Following her suggestion, I subconsciously extend all my teeth into fangs, terrifying many of the other ponies in the room, and ate the first plate in literally one bite. I quickly finished off the other three, before she ordered the other ponies to bring in the main course for me. They disappear for a moment, returning with a cart, loaded with a whole roasted pig.

"I had this imported from the Gryphon Kingdom, Gryphe. Tensions are high, but we have a few close friends. All the animals there are non-sentient, and therefore does not violate any laws, and is not morally incorrect." she smirked, levitating the plate onto the table, ripping out a chunk with her hoof and placing it on her plate. "Go ahead. Dig in!" I obeyed her command, fully extending each tooth into a fang, before they disappeared into the roasted carcass, and ripping out a whole chunk, bone and all. Making short work of the carcass itself, in five minutes, there was not a shred of flesh left, only bits of bones. I raised, breathing hard. The slits that are my pupils narrowed before dilating and widening, shrugging off instinct and calming down, only to see Luna eating that chunk of pork she tore off earlier.

"What, never seen a pony eat meat before?" She stared back at me, "Oh wait. We're supposed to be herbivores. About that, back before I was banished to the moon…" she faltered, starting to space out "Before I was exiled, I ate meat on occasion." I chuckled and took a sip of my glass. Only then did I realize that I could practically _smell_ the fear in the air. Looking around, I saw that everypony was staring at me, wary of my actions and intention. _Retract._ I commanded the Precursors, getting up as the armor split up and glowed, leaving a small plate on my chest, rectangular but with both ends tapering off and meeting at the back, and also with a small trapezoidal extension below the orb in the center.

"I am sorry, I did not mean to scare anypony. Please do not be afraid of me. I am sworn to protect, not to harm you. I am just… hungry tonight." I spoke out, hearing an almost inaudible sigh of relief as their gazes softened, some turned away to carry on their normal business, still occasionally turning back to look at the large grey pony. _Oh don't worry. It was all the same when I returned. _Her voice echoed through my mind. Standing up, she approached me.

"Let's go for a short flight." She smirked, and walked out of the dining hall with me close behind, leaving her meal half finished. Through the closed doors, my sensitive hearing picked up gossip about me. Oh well.

_**-**_**=o=**_**-**_

Pushing open her bedchamber door, I lifted off my crimson and steel collar, as Luna did with her onyx regalia, stepping out of her slippers and walking towards the balcony. Seeing her without her collar on makes her look so naked… Also, I failed to notice that my cutie mark has changed from a plain constellation, now adding the scythe in front of it, adding crimson to the bluish hue from before. Following her, I stepped into the dark of the night, eyes immediately adjusting to allow me to see perfectly clear, even though it was near pitch-dark at close to three in the morning.

"I am sorry for all the pain you've been through, but it was a test. If you died in the process, that meant you are not worthy of being one of the Nightguard. Your survival is proof of your resilience, your raw strength and power." She said softly, with concern in her voice as she wrapped a wing around me as I sat there, looking up at the sky, feeling her down feathers warming my back. Standing up, I unfolded both my winds, with her following behind.

"Go ahead. I've tethered us together, so if you fall, I will still be able to lift you back to safety." Smiling, I realized that this is my first time flying, hesitating before I got into a galloping start, leaping over the handrail and spreading my wings, with Luna following suit. Looking down, all I could see was the streets of Canterlot, illuminated by street lamps, with nopony in sight save the guards on patrol. Flying over Canterlot with Luna by my side, we drew the brief attention of one or two of the guards, who looked up, but quickly dismissed it as the wing, not seeing either of us. Feeling the wind beneath both of my large, expansive wings felt like nothing I've ever felt before. It felt like freedom. Freedom of not being bound by gravity. Freedom which I've always longed for. It felt exhilarating to be able to fly, to have wings.

Turning, we both headed back to the castle. The pale and gold spires stood out from the mountain that served as a backdrop. Aiming for the one that bore a midnight black balcony, which, mind you, is easier than you'd expect since the walls were white, we landed, straight onto her marble balcony. Folding my wings while we both chuckled and giggled, I fell on my side, still reveling in the events of the day.

"One more thing," Luna said, picking up my armor-collar-thing with her magic. "I'm setting it to 'light armor' instead of heavy, seeing as how you are only going to take on guard duty and training the soon-to-come Nightguard." Putting down the red and steel colored collar, she turned to me, as I walked and lay in her bed. Chuckling, she continued. "If you do sleep here, how are the guards going to react when they find a strange stallion sleeping with their princess?" Smiling back at her, I got up.

"After all, I am your Champion, and your personal guard. Thats what you want anyway." Smirking, I turned and faced her. "How-?" She tried to ask, before I cut her off, "Doors swing both ways. You can read my thoughts, and I can read yours." She was blushing so hard that the red was clear through her midnight blue coat. Laughing slightly, I walked out of her room and headed to my own, leaving her still standing there. Walking down the hall with my collar around my neck drew many curious glances, thanks to my unusual size, but not that it mattered. Pushing open my room door, I remembered that I left it in a mess. Stacking up the books that lay strewn across my bed and on the floor, I set them aside, and took on my human form, losing my enhanced sensory abilities with it. Picking up my iPhone, I noticed its battery was almost flat. Casting a spell that I created with Luna's help earlier, I put my other hand, casting the spell, and touched my phone, charging it to capacity in seconds. Feeling it start to overheat due to the unusually quick charge, I set it down, laying on my bed. _It's been a long day. Turning into a super soldier, passing out for a few hours, and then waking up to find yourself completely changed. Its been stressful and taxing at best._ Closing my eyes, I felt myself drift off into peaceful slumber.

_**-**_**=o=**_**-**_

_Approximately four hours later…_

I snapped awake, instinctively looking towards the window, nearly blinding myself with the bright light. _Knock knock knock_. So that's what woke me up. The triple knock was both quite fast and hard, suggesting either the the person, or rather, _pony_ knocking was impatient or that this wasn't the first time knocking. Running a hand through my hair, I yawned, got up and took on my pony form. Walking slowly to the door, I used my magic to open the door, revealing somepony I did not expect to see.

The immaculately white mare with a ethereal mane of pastel blues, greens and pinks, who I admittedly, did not fancy seeing immediately after waking up. The Princess of the Day, Celestia, stood outside my door. "Raphael? Or is it Nocturne Blaze now?" She asked with a motherly tone that wasn't present during our first interaction. I nodded, and after two seconds, she started again, "I apologize for my _harshness_ when talking to you approximately two months ago. I was extremely shocked at your appearance, even though you aren't the first human to come here. Long ago, there was another. Simply put, he had a relationship with Luna and was due to wed when he was killed by Discord's armies. She has feelings for you, but she wouldn't admit it. Don't take it for granted. Also, I can see that she has made you the Lunar Captain." Nodding, I asked, "Sorry, but can I ask a favor of you? Could you run me through Equestrian History? I never really understood it when Luna told me, and it was missing a thousand-year gap." Laughing quietly, she entered my room, and I closed the door behind her.

"The current era is the Sixth Era, Year three. It is written as 6E 3. The Six Eras: Chaos, First Peace, Shadow, The Long War, Exile, Second Peace. The Era of Chaos was one of the shortest, Lasting the first two hundred years of our lives. When we came into the world, the ponies were warring with each other. Each of the three types kept to themselves, and pegacorns, or rather, proto-Alicorns, were born in an attempt of nature to create a pony to lead and unite the three different kinds. Pegacorns were treated as outcasts, and were the pariahs of society. They were hated by Pegasi for having horns, by Unicorns for having wings, and by Earth ponies so much more for having both. The war continued until a leader was born in the chaos, a Draconequus, Discord. He was the embodiment of Chaos itself, his body being an amalgam of parts of different species. He ruled with an iron fist, spreading unnatural and chaotic occurrences across all of Equestria. The three tribes were finally united under a single banner against Discord, and thus, in this newfound peace, Harmony was born in a time of Chaos. Harnessing the Elements of Harmony, Luna and I defeated him, bringing on the First Peace.

"First Peace lasted six hundred years, until King Sombra, the incarnation of hatred and fear, took over the Crystal Empire, a kingdom built on the love ponies felt for each other. The Empire was left defenseless, having the love that powered its defenses be corrupted by the black hatred of its new tyrannical leader. Sombra held the kingdom for fifty years until we defeated him using the Elements. However, he cursed the kingdom, taking it with him, and leaving a barren and cold wasteland in its wake. Then came the Long War.

"The era of the Long War started in the year 851, beginning with the Gryphon Kingdom launching a strike on Equestria. The Gryphon Emperor sought to expand his Empire, and saw the ponies of Equestria to be an affront to their gods. It lasted four hundred years, and in four hundred years, we tore at each other, continuously finding new ways to outdo each other. The Gryphon Kingdom would not hesitate to kill all of us where we stood, while we always struggled to survive, and tried desperately to trump them and forcing their unconditional surrender. It eventually came to an end when they called upon dark magic and almost wiped Equestria from the global map. We only survived because there was a Gryphon traitor who gave us essential information regarding the enemies' weakness regarding the dark magic. The Elements of Harmony were used, but in the process, drained Luna and I of our energy, and locked Equestria in a state of night for three days straight. Bringing the next dawn was no easy feat, however. It took the combined strength of both of us, and also the whole Unicorn race, just to raise the sun.

"The War caused a lot of damage, not only to ponies or gryphons, but to Luna too. The horrors of the war made her realize how fleeting life is, and this depression lead her to being consumed by the Nightmare, the weakness in the souls of ponies. She was consumed by hate, anger and jealousy, taking on the mantle of Nightmare Moon, and leading her Lunar Stallions on a two-hundred year war against Equestria, intending on shrouding it in eternal night. I hesitated to use the Elements on her, but ultimately had no choice. The Lunar Stallions responsible all died fighting, and we confiscated their armor and weapons, returning them to her after her exile. The era of Luna's Exile started when I used the Elements on her, and was rather uneventful, ending three years ago. This is the era of Second Peace, current overall year is 2453, Third Year of the Sixth Era."

During the monologue, I was listening intently as all of recorded history flooded my mind, filling in the gaps that were present before. "If it's alright, I'd like to start over again. Our relationship, I mean." Nodding, she said, "Of course. Please take care of Luna. I must attend to the throne now. Day court begins soon." Smiling, she got up and left, leaving me by myself.


	6. Act 1, Chapter 6

The day went by rather uneventfully, most of it spent sleeping or eating a midday snack in the Dining Hall. At dusk, I set out into the city, with the permission of Luna, mind you, with the intent on sharpening my weapons, which were not-so-surprisingly dull after not being used for so many centuries. Already trying for the Royal Blacksmith, who was closing at dusk, I made my way in the streets, drawing many cautious glances due to my stature and my armor, much less with a scythe and a broadsword across my back. Walking away from the castle, the streets seemed to get less busy and more quiet, much like a gradient. What disappointed me is that of the three blacksmiths I have passed by, all three were closing up for the night. Having no other choice, I headed out to the fourth and last one in the capital of Equestria. Using my ears to guide me, and my nose as well, I followed the scent of smoke and fire, and the ringing of hammer striking hot steel, I thanked the Night for my heightened sensory abilities.

Walking towards the glow of the glow of the forge, surprised to see a pegasus mare working instead of a unicorn. "Welcome to _Warpony's_! Name's Frostbite, and how may I help you?" She greeted cheerfully, catching me off guard. She was a pale azure, her mane being a dark shade of navy blue, and her eyes a deep cyan. "Yeah, could you help me sharpen these? They've gone dull due to not being maintained for a couple of years." I said, handing over the two weapons that I had brought along. Running her hoof along the blade of the broadsword and examining it, she finally sounded out. "Are you sure it was just a _couple_ of years?" She asked, walking over to her grindstone. "Well, more like a few hundred." I continued as she sat herself down, turning the grindstone with her hoof as she ran the length of the blade along it.

After about half an hour, my armaments are done. Razor sharp, I slung them on my back, passively coating them in a layer of magic to prevent them from cutting anyone. Paying the blacksmith the bits I owed her for the sharpening, I considered something I didn't normally do.

"Wanna go get a drink?" I hesitantly asked. Hearing this, her ears perked up, and her gaze shot to the tall, armored Alicorn who stood before her. "Um… Sure." she replied, hesitantly. She turned and locked her shop up, and followed me to the bar down the street.

Pushing open the dark oak door, we stepped into The Drunken Stallion, one of the bars on the outskirts of Canterlot. Far the posh center of the city, this was a typical bar scene. In the bar itself, there were only five patrons, mostly by themselves. Taking a seat, I set my blades aside, and we decided what we wanted to drink. Walking over to the bartender, I ordered our drinks. "Two Apple Ciders, two Appletinis." _For now anyways._ Loading the tray with two bottles and two martini glasses, the bartender chuckled. "Nice date you got there." Paying for my drinks, I retorted, "No, she isn't my date. She's just a friend, somepony who works too hard with little fruition." Walking off, levitating the tray with magic, I noticed that she was staring blankly into space. The insufficient lighting in the bar makes it look like a shady (pun not intended) place to be. Setting the tray down, I caught her intention.

"I'd like to make a proposition." This caught her attention, once again causing her ears to perk up. She turned to look at me, a small "Hm?" escaping her lips. "I'd like you follow me after this." She took a sip from the bottle of cider, looking at me as though I did something wrong. "I mean, I would like you to follow me after this to the castle. Your skills are remarkable, and far better than the Royal Blacksmith." She stopped and put her bottle down, staring at the table, probably contemplating what to say. "I am thankful for this offer, but I am not sure that I will be able to maintain all of the Royal Guard's equipment…" I chuckled at her response. "When I said that you are better than the Royal Blacksmith, I wasn't planning on making you replace him. No. Upon accepting this offer, you will undertake the responsibility of helping to maintain the equipment of the _Lunar_ Stallions. The Nightguard." Her eyes widened in awe. "Growing up as a foal, I always thought that the Nightguard was the stuff of legend…"

Holding up one wing with a hoof and pointing at my unusually long and sharp horn with the other, I cut in, "How'd you think I got these? I'm an Alicorn. I'm big, and my armor is the same armor donned by the Captain of the Nightguard, the Lunar Champion. I am the Crimson Phantom, and my name is Nocturne Blaze."

She was speechless. She was practically blind to my appearance so far. Finishing up our drinks, I went to the bartender and ordered another cider, taking it with me on our way out. "Well, N-nocturne, I'll get my stuff together, and I'll meet you during Night Court later on. I'm a night owl, normally opening my smith at sundown. Don't worry about me, I'll be alright." I walked out, leaving the ice blue mare at the counter with enough bits to pay for the drinks and more. Heading out towards the castle, I looked ahead unto the alabaster stairs that lead to the Castle of the Royal Sisters. As I drew closer, the two guards posted at the entrance stood at attention, letting me pass, though having looks of apprehension and caution on their faces. Spreading my wings, I took off, feeling the air rush past me as I glided up the normally long climb, casting a shadow from the moonlight over the courtyard and landing perfectly front of the large gold doors that served as an entrance to the castle.

The two ponies who stood guarding the entrance quickly opened the immense doors, allowing me through. Moonlight shone through the stained glass windows, gently drenching the hall in a multitude of colors. Looking ahead into the larger throne room, made my way past the empty throne, walking up to the bedchambers, and into my room.

As I sat there reading, there was a knock on my door. _'Odd. It's midnight.'_ I thought to myself, setting my hooves on the floor. Walking up and opening the ebony door with magic, all I saw was a midnight blue mare, who stood in the doorway with a slight smile on her face. What I didn't see, however, was a light blue pegasus hiding behind the Princess of the Night. "Care to explain?" the dark mare asked, stepping aside. Frostbite, now fully exposed, only smiled a shaky grin, obviously more afraid of me after noticing what I actually am, than Luna herself.

After explaining fully to Luna the situation, she lead the both of us to the Obsidian Hall. A look of sheer amazement and awe came upon Frostbite's face as we walked into the largely dichromatic hall, and down the almost ancient-looking staircase that lead to the Twilight Antechamber, and the Armory. Helping Frostbite into the armor of the Nightguard, which for the record, looked comically large for her, Luna and I exited the Armory, leaving Frostbite confused and alone.

The large metal door slid shut before she could run out, much like during my turn. I felt somewhat pitiful when I heard her whimper in fear, but all doubts disappeared once I heard the oath being spoken. Then came the screams of pain. The metal doors slid open, revealing a faux-Alicorn standing in the doorway, ashen coat soaked in blood. Luna stepped forward to the once-timid Frostbite, who now galloped full speed towards both of us, and knocked me over. She bore her full set of fangs, eyes of cyan, marred by the obsidian slits that were her pupils. She sniffed at me, crimson mixing with the red of my armor. Beneath all the blood, she smelled like a mare _in heat._ She looked my unarmored head with curiosity, head cocked to one side as she continued sniffing like an over friendly dog.

Before I knew it, her jaws opened wide, and she sank her fangs into my neck. My face screwed up momentarily from the pain and shock, but reduced to a mere calm facade as she started draining my blood. _'Meh. No possible way she'd actually completely drain my blood at the rate it regenerates.' _I reassured myself mentally, feeling the drain of my blood slow to a stop. She released her bite on my neck, slumping down and falling asleep. I could hear Luna chuckling as I struggled to get up, careful not to wake the newly-transformed mare.


	7. Act 1, Chapter 7

Leaving the newly-converted Frostbite in the Lunar Barracks, with a note telling her to report to the Dining Hall to meet Luna, I headed back to my room to wash the blood off my coat. Running a hoof through my mane, I watched as the crystal clear water ran down my body, becoming a shade of red as it surged down the drain. Satisfied, I walked out and dried myself, planning for a nice, relaxing trip to town.

_'Nocturne, my sister wishes to speak to you. She is currently in her bedchamber.'_

A familiar voice rang out in my mind, snapping me back to reality after having spaced out from thinking. Looks like visiting town would have to wait.

_'Understood.'_

Getting up and donning my armor, I quickly made my way to the alabaster doors with gold trim that stood opposite to the obsidian ones I frequently saw. Composing myself, I retracted my armor, leaving only the crimson and gunmetal collar. Knocking, I waited for a response, contemplating what she wanted from me. Not three seconds late, the immaculately white door swung open, revealing a white, gold and yellow room, which in itself was bigger, or at least more spacious, than Luna's room. Bringing a hoof to my chest, I bowed my head as a sign of submission and respect towards the radiant white princess. "Rise, dear Nocturne. Being a friend, you have no need to bow to me." Her voice, positively dripping with care and compassion, ended the silence that permeated the air. Raising my head, I came face to face with a serious look on her face. "Though, I did not call you here for no reason." I felt a sense of fear and dread begin to build up. Her sudden change of tone made me wonder if I had done something wrong.

"I have felt your capabilities. It is an ability for magic-wielders to be able to sense the limits and prowess of another magic-wielder, and it has come to my attention that your magic is far too powerful to go unchecked, especially since you have not been trained in using magic. You might see that me restricting your use of magic is a punishment for a crime you did not commit, but it is for the best. Any accident concerning powerful magic will end badly, for both you and others. I don't want to see you accidentally tearing another pony to pieces when levitating them, or scorching a town when you try to light candle. Trust me when I say that this is for your own good." I fully understood what had to be done. Luna herself once pondered the true limit of my abilities, and voiced her concern that my magical skill could potentially surpass her own, and that of Celestia as well. I admit, I am somewhat scared of myself.

"I understand. Please proceed." A look of surprise was plastered across her face for a split second, before it came to a warm and comforting smile. Without another word, she put the tip of her horn to mine, and I felt her enter my mind.

_**-**_**=o=**_**-**_

**-Perspective Change: Celestia-**

Looking into his mind was like looking into the infinite complexity of the heavens that Luna created above Terra. Tapping into his magic reserves, I soon realized that it was far greater than I had anticipated. It's similar to looking at a house through a window and then stepping into the house and seeing in full what it contained. Most unicorns use their own, personal magical reserves that are regenerated over time. Alicorns utilize natural reserves, primarily relying on elemental magic from their surroundings, and secondarily relying on the magical reserves of Terra herself. His magical reserves, however, served only to confuse me. His mana was a cesspool, a combination of many different sources. There was the Night, used also by my sister, Terran magic, the magic that all Alicorns share, and multiple sources that I am unfamiliar with. It was no wonder his reserves were so large. He had at least twice the amount of mana that my niece, Cadance has. Even now, I still am unsure of how large his reserve really is. Even now, it already rivals mine, and something tells me that it is actually far larger than I suspect.

_'Nocturne'._ I spoke directly into his mind, feeling the presence of his consciousness. _'Yeah?'_ He quickly replied, insecurity present. _'You are… powerful, to say the least. I'm enabling six levels of restriction on your magic. The lower three can be accessed on your own, and you will know when you're stepping between levels. The upper three require my acknowledgement and permission, but I doubt you will ever need to use that much. Already as it is, your power is on par with mine. These levels are meant to protect yourself, and those around you who you care about. I will be securing a telepathic link to you so that, if you ever need to, you can access the higher three levels of your magic in times of battle without me having to be physically there.'_ Now that that was done, I withdrew from his mind, still somewhat confused by his mana reserve. Resisting the urge to look into his memories, I came back to reality, back to the grey stallion who stood equal in height to myself.

"Now that that's done, what's life like in your world? You know, your version of Terra?" I asked the tall muscular stallion.

_**-**_**=o=**_**-**_

**-Perspective Change: Nocturne Blaze-**

I am confused. "Why ask about my old world? It was hell compared to Terra. It is a world where kindness is rare, and trust rarer. We warred many times among ourselves. Two wars involving almost all of Earth, World Wars. Millions killed. All of it could have been prevented. We were on the verge of fighting with weapons that could very well have destroyed our planet. The human race is one plagued with deceit, hatred, anger and war. Even though the wars are over, the malicious mindset still lurks in the darkness of the human mind.

"When I was still studying in school, I was always bullied for my unusual hair color, because most humans had hair with colors like brown, black, blond and some others. My hair was silver and grey. This made me withdrawn and quiet, living in my mind, spending more time thinking, and getting myself depressed over how despicable mankind was. People waste food and money while there are millions starving in other countries. Murder, theft and rape is common.

"Countries prepare themselves for war when there isn't war. I hated the world I lived in, and that's why I took a shot in the dark and did what Luna's letter told me to. Not all humans are bad though, but almost all of those in power are corrupted, only difference is the degree." I was in tears by the time I had finished explaining, dripping in the silence that gripped the room. Celestia's normally benevolent face now wore a look of shock and horror, and she too, had tears in her eyes.

"I am so sorry. I never thought that a person so forgiving would come from such a cruel world." She said softly, tears rolling down her alabaster cheeks. Her multicolored mane seemed to be slightly grayed, and moved less in the ethereal breeze. Closing the distance between us, I put a hoof around her neck, giving her a hug. It was the least I could do for her. She burrowed her muzzle into my shoulder, and I could feel her warm tears cling to my fur as she cried. She brought her head back up, and with ragged breaths, said, "T-the Grand Galloping Gala is in two weeks time. It's a yearly event, an annual ball, to celebrate the the founding of Canterlot. I w-would like to have you attend as Luna's personal guest. She would like that. It's about time the public know about you." I was intrigued by the idea. A royal ball, huh?

"Thank you, Celestia. I appreciate it, but I've never attended something so high-profile and high class like a royal ball before. This kind of things just don't happen on Earth." She chuckled, and dried her remaining tears. "Just be yourself." She said, drawing a smile from me. I turned and walked away, saying. "I'll be out. Training grounds. Testing my limits." With that, I walked out of her room.

It seems as though word of my induction into the Lunar Stallions and my rank have spread, as I came across quite a few guards who stopped and saluted. "Private!" I spoke up, drawing the attention of the white unicorn clad in gold, armor partially hiding a bow-and-arrow cutie mark, "Prepare five Magic Training Dummies and bring them to the training grounds." Saluting, the white stallion walked to Training storage, as I continued my trot to the training center. Sparring rings, punching bags, and the obstacle course. Using magic, I summoned my weapons, the scythe and the great sword, and slung them across my back.

"Private Snowflake! What do you find so damn interesting?!" I heard somepony shout in the background, similar to how a Drill Inspector would. The recruit mumbled something back to his commanding officer with a quiver in his voice,

"Hello there, Shining Armor." He called out in a rather singsong tone. This caught me off guard, and the pitch of his voice just made it sound creepy. He stared at me intently before breaking out into a chuckle. "Is there a unicorn with a bow and arrow as his cutie mark here?" He questioned me, and not a second later, a hoof shot into the air, accompanied by his shouting, "Sir!"

"Ah, excellent." I said, looking around. In the field, there were five cream-colored ponyquins, each standing on a metallic surface. "Pray tell, what is your name?" I questioned. "Sir, Private Artemis Blitz, sir!" His response was quick, a clear sign of his military discipline and experience. "With your permission, Captain Shining Armor, I would like to have a few words with the platoon." He nodded, a small smile forming on his lips. Retracting my armor, I began, "Platoon, at ease. For those of you who don't know yet, I am Commander Nocturne Blaze. I am the first Lunar Captain in over a thousand years. I was given the rank of Colonel by Princess Luna herself, with Princess Celestia's blessing. We have three remaining slots open for the position of Lunar Stallions, with ranks ranging from Captain (Capt.) to Lieutenant Colonel (LtCol.). Your commander, Captain Shining Armor will select fifteen of you based off your attitude, your capability to lead and your general performance. I understand that this is a platoon training to be in the Equestrian Special Forces?" All fifty of them sounded off their unanimous reply, and I turned to the captain, asking, "If they are training to be in the special forces, why are there so many?" Turning to face me, he replied, "Sir, these soldiers come from all over Equestria. They are the best of the best from where they come from, sir."

_Excellent_. "Carry on, Captain." I said to the blue-maned unicorn. Nodding, he turned to face his soldiers as I walked away, donning my armor once again. Unslinging both weapons with my magic, I headed for the targets, seeing the Captain send his soldiers down the obstacle course, shouting at them like a drill sergeant. Placing the sword aside, I retracted the safety barrier I had put in place earlier, and readied it with the dull silver aura of my magic.

Walking to the back of one target, I hooked the blade of the scythe to the front of its neck, pulling slightly, and feeling the razor sharp blade slide cleanly through the solid inert magic that was supposed to simulate real flesh. Feeling the blade hook onto something about a quarter from the back, I pulled harder, cleanly cleaving the vertebra in half. This blade wasn't just razor sharp. It was impossibly sharp, able to cleave through bone like a knife through butter. Amazed, I pushed the reset on the base with my hoof, watching the decapitated head melt and reform back on the body.

_'You DO know you can extend your blade with magic, right?'_ Luna spoke directly into my mind, piquing my curiosity. I held out my scythe, and created a blade of magic, multiplying its range fivefold. Swinging it, I sliced through all five targets at once. Resetting them, I put them behind the low wall of the obstacle course. _'Now to see if I can make it intangible at will.' _I mused to myself, walking to the other side of the wall, so that the targets were out of view. Closing my eyes, I envisioned all five of them, using the sixth sense that came with unicorns and Alicorns, the ability to detect magic. Since the dummies were practically made of magic, I could see them clearly from the other side of the wall. Selecting the one in the middle as my target, I focused on it and it alone, and swung my scythe. Walking back to the other side, I saw that only the one in the middle was neutralized. Perfect.

I spent the next few hours training, and before I knew it, the sun was beginning to rise, and, after finally coming back out of my state of focus, I saw that the entirety of Shining Armor's platoon and himself were watching me train.

_'Nocturne, report to the Conference Room. I have reason to believe that something is going to go wrong. Use the invisibility spell I taught you, and play it covertly.'_ She once again spoke into my mind. Turning away from the platoon, I walked off, disappearing into a black mist as I cast the invisibility spell before teleporting into the Conference Room. As soon as I teleported, I casted a sound reduction spell and stepped into the corner, watching for any sign of danger. In the room was a large, oval table, divided in half. One was painted with the sun and a bright yellow background, and the other was the moon in the night sky. Celestia sat on one side of the table, facing a gryphon. The gryphon King was slightly larger than her, and he wore not a crown on his feathered head, but a one-sided pauldron with ornate carvings depicting what looked to be a dragon's head. A scar ran from above his right brow ridge, and ran to his left upper cheek. Two pairs of guards stood behind him, all ready to strike at the first sign of provocation.

"I hope that the movement and garrisoning of soldiers along a border city into the neutral zone is not without reason, because this would appear to be a hostile move, moving troops and ordnance so close to the neutral territory…" Celestia began, breaking the silence as the gryphon King impatiently tapped his claws, sheathed in a metal gauntlet worn on the same arm. "Explain your actions, or I will not hesitate to do the necessary to protect my kind."

The beast snarled, a smirk on his beak as he said, "Oh you fool. This is only to protect the gryphons in the outlying provinces, particularly the Pennorth Region, where a particularly resistant rebellion has surfaced, and I-"

"That still does not explain the ordnance." Celestia cut in, obviously tired of playing games. At this point, the smirk on his beak dissolved. He stopped tapping the table with his claw, instead clenching it into a fist and hammering down hard on the table. My pupils shrunk at this, and adrenaline was released into my bloodstream. Time slowed down. The gryphon on his left raised his war axe, preparing for an attack. Without thinking, I propelled myself forward, reaching just in time for the axe to come down on me, instead of Celestia. I dispelled the cloaking effect, and watched a look of sheer confusion and fear come upon my attacker's face. The other group teleported away as soon as he struck, leaving him behind. His axe had planted itself above my left shoulder, almost cleaving my left foreleg clean off.

I grasped my scythe off my back, swinging it along a horizontal axis, impaling the gryphon from behind. I dragged the blade to the side, tearing the beast's torso clean in half. Blood splattered all over me, and painted the white table that I stood on a deep shade of crimson. I turned, only to see a look of shock on Celestia's face quickly dissolve into one of slight reluctance.

"Colonel Nocturne Blaze, prepare for war."


	8. Act 1, Chapter 8

I've only been here for two months and already, Equestria is about to be plunged into war. Interestingly enough, the thereat of war brings out the best in some of us. Queen Chrysalis has proposed an alliance with Celestia, and surprisingly, she agreed. Make no mistake, Chrysalis committed heinous crimes in the past, but her natural abilities make her and the rest of the Changelings prime for espionage and covert operations. In return for this alliance, they would be allowed to feed off a certain percentage of the city's love, and live in the Crystal Caves just below the castle.

If not for the threat of war, and the slowly approaching conflict, I would be eating meat from Gryphe, the Gryphon Kingdom to stock up on protein. Because of the war, the Grand Galloping Gala has been cancelled, and all cities and towns under the Equestrian Protectorate have set curfews, and a decent number of guards stationed at each location.

Celestia approached me earlier this week, requesting that I help design a more advanced defense against enemies at long ranges, seeing as how trebuchets will be hardly effective, and that I was more versed with warfare, even though I have never fought in a war before. Basing my designs off of prototype railgun concepts, I designed the Hyperion, which runs on ammunition made using magically activated crystals. It uses magically created and enchanted rounds as ammunition, which can be set to kill or stun. Its effective range is close to 500 km, augmented by enchantments. Five Hyperion-class cannons were made, one positioned in Ponyville, one in Canterlot Castle's observatory, replacing its telescope, and being mounted on the telescope's support mechanism, allowing for fast and accurate aiming. Three were placed on raised platforms surrounding Canterlot, aiming at likely places where the Gryphons would strike. Canterlot is now the Primary Artillery Station, and Ponyville will be the Forward Operating Base for the conflict.

Additionally, the Dragons of the Mist Islands further west have pledged their allegiance to Celestia, with the eldest staying in Canterlot. Unlike the dragons of the southeast, these dragons were truly fearsome to behold. They were long and serpentine, their head crowned with four horns, and their mouth filled with razor sharp teeth. Their body was covered in large scales, most ending in sharp spines. Their wingspan easily averaged thirty meters, and they were twenty four meters long on average. Their tails ended in four spikes pointing upwards, and the claws on their feet were curved and black, ready to rip through flesh. They spoke in a mix of Dragontounge and English, and selected me of all people to be the mediator between Dragonkind and Ponies. I was dubbed the "Arbiter of Dracongarde", or "Dovnskaar-Eskaal" by the chief dragon, Tzalusniik the Dark, a deep blue Elder dragon. His son, Vuljotnaak, volunteered, and taught me a spell to call him to battle, and also pledges his services as a personal mount.

Also, on a personal level, Luna and I have created a prototype magically powered pistol. The inner mechanism's workings are similar to a real pistol, except the firing pin has been enchanted with fire magic, allowing it to ignite whatever it strikes. The ammunition is comparable to a .45 round back on earth, except that, similar to the railgun rounds, the rounds are magically created, crystalline bullets with explosive magic congealed into a gel that replaces the gunpowder, housed in a shell made of darksteel, or steel that has been specially treated to withstand explosive force. The firing pin will strike a small disk in the casing which is made using a special metal that will transfer the effects of the firing pin to the explosive gel inside the round, creating pressure and firing the bullet. Using replicative magic, I created two pistols, and thirty six magazines of ten rounds each.

Luna has been staying in her human form, and keeps her pistol strapped to her thigh, and her ammunition in a dimensionally transcendent pouch. I, too, keep my pistol in a holster, but keep four clips attached to my custom-made belt that was designed by Rarity, a unicorn from Ponyville, a clothes designer and one of the Elements of Harmony, who also designed Luna's full-body catsuit, which she wears under her royal attire that she created to fit her human form.

Celestia also recently revealed my being human to the public, and explained the full situation of the Gryphon's declaration of war. Surprisingly, the public did not look on to me in fear, mainly because Luna also took on a human form. My introduction was met with much applause, and most ponies did not mind our presence, though some were cautious when approaching us on a personal level.

As for the three remaining stallions who will be inducted into the Nightguard, they were selected by Luna herself. Aegis Blitz, Winter Tempest, and Firestrike Inferno. All three have been put through the Conversion and are ready to fight to their deaths for Equestria.

As I walked into the Obsidian Hall, I saw that all of the Nightguard and Luna were already there, standing before Luna in their iconic armors, each of them with a horn as sharp as a spear on their heads, having size and wingspans comparable to Luna herself. Upon seeing me, the four of them snapped to attention, with Firestrike saluting.

Taking a breath, I announced, "My brothers and sister, I have a request to make from all of you. It will not be an easy choice, and it will effect the public's outlook on you all. Princess Luna has already made her choice, and you might disagree with me when I say this, but it will make fighting this war far easier for you than it will be should you refuse. I am willing to give you all human forms, but only with your consent. However, since you are not Alicorns, you cannot maintain two forms, and thus have to give up your current forms. Even though I am not a full Alicorn, I am able to maintain both forms because I have very large magic reserves. The transformation will be painful, because it practically involves your bones breaking and reforming themselves. If you do not wish to be transformed, I respect your decision."

Without a second of hesitance, Firestrike Inferno cut in, "Sir, I believe I can speak for the rest of the Nightguard when I say this, but we are all willing to undergo the process. We'd follow your every command till death, and follow you into Tartarus if you so wished."

Concentrating the magic to my hands, I saw both get enveloped in a silvery-grey aura around the armor that covered them, and the same aura blanketed the others. Walking over in her human form, Luna's hands too were ignited with magic, supplementing mine. The whole room was lit with a bright light, and in the seconds it took my eyes to adjust, the four ponies floated several feet off the ground. Their armor burst into its composite fragments, and orbited each of them, forming a cloud of metal shards. There was a loud searing noise, then the gut-wrenching cracking of their bones breaking and rearranging themselves, all of it mixed with their agonized screams. The light dimmed as their armor rearranged itself to fit their new form, and they fell to the ground, breathing heavily.


	9. Act 1, Chapter 9

**(AN: Sorry for uploading this so… late. My internet was down for the past week, and I was also working on another personal project. Anyways, enjoy.)**

The newly-turned human Nightguard lay before me, their suits of armor still rearranging to accommodate their new physical form, accessing their genetic coding to know which parts are the most important, analyzing joints and muscles to know where to bend and where to remain rigid. Frostbite retained her navy blue mane color, and the same deep cyan eyes. Winter Tempest's hair was a light silvery-blue, and his eyes a deep midnight blue, staying true to his name. Firestrike retained his two-toned mane of red and orange, somewhat similar to Spitfire of the Wonderbolts, and Aegis had silver eyes and a deep grey hair, which appeared to be black in poor lighting. Within seconds, they regained consciousness, and they struggled to get up, before I stopped them.

"Now, since you have just been turned human, you have no idea how to _walk_, let alone fight. Now, I will be casting a memory sharing spell, and you will learn everything you need to. Please, close your eyes and keep still. You too, Princess." I put up both my arms, holding them parallel to the ground, and spread them, feeling the tingle of spell casting return to my fingers. Closing my eyes, I prepared every morsel of information, including the knowledge of offensive and defensive spells I already knew, and also the restorative spells, that they needed and isolated them. I poured magic from my hands, feeling it stream into their minds, reaching into their memories.

The four of them looked iconic and intimidating in their dark armors, each of their weapons at their sides, and with wings sprouted from their backs, inherited from their converted form. Frostbite stood with her halberd, giving me a playful smirk as I gave them a one-over. Winter with his bulky warhammer, which looked like it could easily crush a person's skull with a single blow. On the head of the hammer, a rune was engraved, translating to _Mjolnir_, Thor's hammer. Aegis donned magic-amplifying gauntlets that was once a horn-guard, which also doubled up as dual bucklers. Firestrike wielded his bow, relatively simple in design but still held an intimidating vibe. After all, it had a fire enchantment put in place.

"Also know this. You are now part of the Nightguard, one with the Night. The magic of the Night will give you the power you require, and trust me when I say that you will be very hard to kill in the field of battle, but your death is still possible. Never let your guard down, and never doubt your enemies. The Gryphon's unprovoked declaration of war is something we do not know the reasoning behind, but we will give them a fight, since they asked for it. We will not stop until they surrender. We will strike back at any force that dare attack us. We will paint the grey banner of Gryphe crimson with their blood. We will stain the sands of their kingdom scarlet. We will not stop until they surrender, or die fighting. You will not hesitate. You will slay every soldier, spare every woman and child, lest they fight you. You will fight for Equestria, and her children.

"War is nothing to be proud of. It is neither a joyous occasion, nor one to be celebrated. Killing another being is never right, but given the circumstances, it is all but required. War has ravaged my world, millions dying in the process, and all for what? A crazed madman trying to take over the world over a stupid idea of a perfect master race? Folly. We know not why the Gryphon king has declared war on Equestria, but we will fight that crazed bird until Equestria is safe."

They are ready to fight until their deaths, but I am truly afraid. Afraid of fighting, afraid of dying. Under the facade of a strong leader, I was as scared as they were. Closing my eyes, I subconsciously altered my appearance back to my natural one. Opening my eyes, I saw that my fringe, which has grown and hung down slightly into my vision, turned from the ashen grey to its original dirty silver, and assumed that my eyes were no longer gold, but red.

Hours later, when I remained in my room, thinking and planning, I heard a knock on the door, shaking me out of deep thought. "C-come in…" I stuttered, reshuffling the files on my table regarding strength and armaments. The dark oak door swung open slightly, and Luna's fair form stepped in. "I am here to ask you a discuss an arguably sensitive topic." She said softly, stepping forward, eyes fixed on me with a concerned expression on her face. "How were you able to alter the colors of your hair and eyes, and also the shape of your pupil so easily?"

Shrugging, she looked away, and continued, "I may be wrong, but I think you are more than _just_ the Lunar Captain. In all of recorded Equestrian history, only two other ponies could alter their appearances so easily. Knowledge of both have been lost to time, but their existence is indeed real. The renowned Starswirl the Bearded studied shapeshifting in ponies, and dubbed such ponies 'Metamorphs'. What troubles me is that you are a metamorph, even though you weren't born a pony. It's like you were born into the wrong world. The magic in the environment must have somehow activated your abilities. Just bear in mind not to overuse it, because transformation is a very taxing area of magic." Nodding, I turned slightly, still sitting on the swivel chair that I helped design to give me mobility with comfort.

"So what you're saying, is that I am a shapeshifter?" I questioned, to which she replied with a nod. _'This really is getting weird.' _Turning to fully face her, I said, "Hey Luna, is it possible to make it so that the Nightguard's armor isn't so… Bulky?"

"What do you mean?" She said, walking closer. I sighed, putting my hand to her forehead, and showed her my ideal armor from what I imagined. Her hand glowed with the deep blue aura, and it came to rest on the medal-form of my armor that lay on my table. The angular piece seemed to melt, before solidifying in an organic, sleek and thin form.

Slinging it around my chest, activated it, hearing the collective song of the Precursors once again. They sang of war, fire and the glory of honorable death.

To me, it was all just an illusion, covering up the horrors of war.


End file.
